Who said football fans don't care about the UEFA Nations League? Ireland vs England is currently being played in front of a packed house at the Aviva Stadium and both sets of supporters have contributed to a ferocious atmosphere in the early stages.
While England fans in the Aviva Stadium away end are going through their extensive songbook, it's the home support that are making most of the noise, which is to be expected given the magnitude of the fixture.
Two England players, in particular, are facing the wrath of the Irish support. Both Declan Rice and Jack Grealish have been booed already and they are expected to be targeted for the duration of the match. But why are Ireland fans booing Declan Rice and Jack Grealish? Here's what you need to know.
Why are Ireland fans booing Declan Rice?
Declan Rice might be the most hated active footballer in Ireland. The reason is the Arsenal midfielder's decision to turn his back on Ireland in favour of playing for England.
The former West Ham man was never seen as a potential England international as an academy player so he elected to represent Ireland as his grandparents were from Cork.
He went on to play for the Republic of Ireland throughout his youth career, turning out for the country at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level. He then made his full debut for the Republic of Ireland in 2018 against Turkey and went on to play two more friendlies for the Boys in Green.
After the match against Turkey, Rice seemed to shut down the possibility of switching to England, telling reporters:
“It brought a little bit of a tear to my eye singing the national anthem and remembering my nana and grandad. It was a special moment. I've loved being around the team and at the moment I'm fully focused on playing with Ireland.”
However, a year later, he broke Irish hearts when he announced that he had written to FIFA asking to transfer his international registration to England. As he had yet to play a competitive match for Ireland, FIFA obliged, and Rice turned out for England at the next international break.
Declan Rice discussing his ambitions to be Ireland captain.🥴pic.twitter.com/mNmBj3OQH9
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 6, 2024
Why are Ireland fans booing Jack Grealish?
The situation with Jack Grealish is slightly different which is perhaps why the boos for the Manchester City man haven't been quite as loud as the ones for Rice.
However, like Rice, Grealish played for the Republic of Ireland at youth level. As he came through the ranks at Aston Villa, Grealish for Ireland under-17s, under-18s and under-21s.
However, where he differs from Rice is that he made his decision on his international allegiance when Martin O'Neil called him to discuss bringing him into the first team. At that point, Grealish declined the offer and switched to England.
Unlike Rice, Grealish wasn't then fast-tracked to the England first team. Instead, he made seven appearances for the under-21s before earning his first cap three years later, in 2020.
A few years ago, Grealish explained his decision to switch international allegiances. He said:
“As I got older, I started playing obviously at Villa, in the first-team, I broke through. And there was a time when I thought: ‘Obviously I am English, my parents were born in England, I was obviously born in England, so I feel English.' “So yes, I obviously changed to England and since then I never looked back.”